Hydraulic actuating mechanism



1 June 3, 1930. H. M. M. MATTERN. JR

HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 8, 1924v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 //VVENTOR Heinri,ch Maunis Meziel-Maiiel md l.

- ATTORNEY June 1930. H. M. M. MATTERN, JR 1,762,068

HYDRAULI C ACTUATING MECHANI SM lHllllllH INVENTOf? Heim'w/z Maul'ils Meier MaiiermJr.

HTTORNE) I Patented .lune

-U TE'DLSTA HYDEAU Io-AoTUArIn-o MECHANISM Application fil eri November 8, 1924,

This invention relates to improvements in h ,draulic mechanism. for actuatin the.

valves, of reciprocating engines, and has for its object a form of actuating mechanism whereby positive and accurate control of the valve is maintained. p V

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention f Q Figure 1 illustrates diagrammaticallyan improved mechanism for operatingvalves,

inwhich the active piston besides-being pensating vessel 11.v As soon asthe LCtlVG.

.axially displaced islcapable of "being rotated about its longitudinal aXis and in which. the pressure space 1S connected .to a compeneating vessel surround ng the passive plston.

The return movementof the passive piston into its normal position is eiiected' by a spring. ,7 Figs. 1 of the active piston shown in Fig. 1 the piston occupying a series of difierentpositions.

Figure 2 is a diagrammaticalview'of a valve operating'mechani'sm,inwhich the return movement of the passive piston into its normal position isefi'ected hydraulically.

in the embodiment shown. in Fig; 1, 1 is the valve connected by means 'oifav rod12 to the passive piston 3 Working in the cylinder 4. The space 5-below the piston" connected-by means of a conduit -6 to the pressure space .7 of the cylinder 8, inwhich the active piston 9 operates. In addition to the pressurefoonduit 6,,opening into the upper part of the'cylinder 8', this cylinder is conrou'n'ding the cylinder- 4.- by means of" a conduit 10 which opens at 18 into the cylinder 8, substantially in the middle of the length is partly filled with said liquid, The'active piston Qis formed 1 and 1 illustra'te development,

"netted with a compensating vessel 11 surthereof. The chambers 5 and Tithe conduits 6 and 10 and 22 are filled with. liquidypref erably oii; whilst the compensating vessel 11 witw; cylinder havlng a closed bottom and an open top' directed itowar der, into which opens-the conduit 6.

The active piston moreover may be to tatedahoutits axis in-anyconvenient inan I ner such as by providing the piston'rod' l2; Y with a squarepart 13adapte'd'to-engage a lever 16, having :a correspondingly square ap erture1 5. The active piston .9 is provided f Serial is. 748,736, amiin the Netherlands November 13, 1923,. s that end of the cylingj with apertures 17, which in a determinedpo,

sition of the piston coincidewith the openings 18 of the conduit -10, leading, to the com pisto'n during its upward stroke closes the liquid through the conduit 6 into the cha n her .5 under the passive piston, which is I th erebv raised against the action of the spring 19, which is therefore compressed;

As soon as thea'ctive piston reaches the positionin which the openings 17 in the wall thereof again coincide with theop'enings 18 of the conduit '10, the. spring 19 is free to. force the piston 3 downwardly which there by forces the oil fromthe chamber 5 and through theconduit 6, cylinder 8 and the the, conduit 10 and into the compensating vessel 11 sothjat thevalve .1 is closed. 'The T impact lot the closing movement is broken by a Colman-oil buffer 20' or other suitable clamping device. Duringthe further upward movementof the active piston 9 com-] munication 1s malntained between the conduit 10 and the-cylinder space 7' (through 17 and 18). During the return or downward movement thepiston 9. occupiesmomentarilv a positionin which thecommunication be' tween the chamber 7, and conduit 1 0 -i.s b1"O,kQI1,'&S theupper edge of the active -pis- -j ton has not yet passed the upper edgeof the.

opening 18. .Solong as the upper dge of 1 I the activepistonhas not yetpassed the upper dge of said opening, this opening is closed 'vessel through the conduit 6,. the chamber and liquid is sucked from the compensating 7o apertures 17 and the openlngs 18 throughf' r and the conduit 10 is established at will at rotated througha certain angle.

, the lifting of thevalve will not occur.

an earlier or later moment during the upward stroke'of the'piston'9 and in this way an exact regulation of the engine is permitted. .The adjustment of the piston 9 by means of the lever 15', 16 is efiected by the hand. In order to secure the desired adjustment of the piston 9 by rotating it about its axis; theopenings 17 and theopenings 18 or both are given the shape shown. In this'way the moment of closing the valve 1 I may be determined. and controlled.

In Figure 4 the same positions of the piston are shown after the, piston 9 has been It will be Clearthat'in the position shown in F igureI 3 n thelowes't position of the piston the openings 18 are entirely free tnot covered by the piston" wall)so that as soon as the upward stroke 'of the piston 9 begins oil will be pressed through the openings 18 into the conduit 10 towards the compensating vessel 11"." 'The'valve' '1' will not be lifted. This flowing of the liquid would be stopped as soon as the piston 9 with its upper edge will have reached the upper edge of the openings 18; As itwill be seen from the drawing, however, at the same moment the upper edge of the apertures 17in the piston wall reach theunder'edge of the'openings 18 in the cylinder wall so that at the same moment in which the upper edge of the piston would close the openings 18 it is opened again by theupper edge of the openings 17 in the pistonwa'll."

In the position of the piston 9 shown in Figure 4, however, the case is another one. In the' moment in-which the upperedge of the piston 9'has reached the upper edge of the openings 18' in the cylinder wall the ports 17 have come into the position indicated in Figure 4 with dotted lines (17*). It will be seen, that in this position the opening 17 a cloels' not yet coincide with the openings 18 in the cylinder wall. A communication between the space 7 of the active piston 8 and the conduit 10 will only begin in the posi-' tion17 '(Figure 4) in which the curved edge nings 17 touches the under edge of During 'the' 'further upwardstroke of the'piston 9 a communication between the space 7and the conduit 10 will be'effected, the valve 1 being then closed by the spring, since the pressure in chambers 5 and 11 are equalized.

In the embodiment shown inFig. 2 the closing of the valve is not effected by the action of a spring but by hydraulic pressure. For this purpose the active piston is formed as a stepped piston. The two parts of this stepped piston'are indicated by 23 and 24 and operate in a correspondingly stepped cylinder 25 and 26. The lower part 23 of the piston acts in the same way as the part 9 in Fig. 1. The passive piston 3 instead of being pressed back into its normal position by a spring, is returned by liquid pressure located above the passive piston 3, such liquid pressure being raised in the cylinder 26 bythe piston 24 after the latter has closed the openings 27, which form the mouth. of the conduit 10 leading to the compensating vessel 11. As soon as this opening 27 is closed by the piston 24 the liquid from the cylinder 26 is forced through a conduit 28 into the space 29 above the passive piston, so that the piston 3 is pressed down and the liquid under this piston is forced through the conduit 6 into the cylinder 25 and through the openings 17 and 18 and the conduit 10 is returned to the compensating vessel 11; During the further upward movement of the stepped piston the openings 30 and 27 at the predetermined moment are brought into coincidence and stop any further forcing or flow of the liquid to the space 29. The Colman-oil buffer breaks the impact of the dos ing movement of the valve 1. The space 29 above the passive piston 3 also communicates through a non-return valve 31 with the compensating vessel 11 surrounding the cylinder of the passive piston.

In order to enable the moment at which the forcing of liquid into the space 29 commences to be regulated by rotating the active piston, the upper edge of the upper piston 24 is provided with notches 32 limited by a curve 33 the form of which determines the desired regulation.

The operation is as follows:

Referring to Figure 1 the passive piston is in its lowestp'osition and the valve 1 closed and the active piston 9 is also in the lower position, now if by the eccentric the active piston is moved in an upward direction, liquid will be forced through the apertures 18, conduit 10 into the compensating vessel 11, which is in open communication with the outer air. During the upward stroke of the active piston 9 at a certain moment the piston wall closes the apertures 18 in the cylinder wall so that the liquid will no longer pass through the conduit 10 but is pressed through the conduit 6 into the space 5 under the passive piston. Consequently the latter will be raised against the action of the spring 19 and thus the valve 1 will be opened. At the further upward movement of the active piston 9 the apertures 17 inthe piston wall will coincide compensatingvessel 11, whilst the piston 3 and the valve 1,under the pressure of the spring 19 are moved into their original po-v sition (valve closed). The open communica tion through the ports 17 and 18 is maintained as the active piston reaches its upper position.

At the beginning of the downward-stroke of the piston 9 liquid is sucked out from 11 through 10 and the ports 18 and 17 until .the communication of those parts is broken and the liquid is sucked by the piston 9 from the compensating vessel into the space7 through theconduit 22via the non return valve 21, the space 5 and theconduit 6. Before the piston 9 has come back inits lowest position the communication between 7 and is reestablished as the upper edge of the piston wall I passes the upper edge of the opening 18.

.By rotating the, active piston 9 about its axis, by means of the lever 15, 16 the communication between the cylinder space 7 and the conduit 10 is established at will at an earlier or later moment during the upward stroke of the piston 9 and in this way an exact regulation of the engine is permitted. The

adjustment of the piston 9 by means of thelever 15, 16 being effected by hand. In order to secure the desired adjustment of the piston 9 by rotating it about its axis the openings 17. and the openings 18o'r both are given a special shape. Moreover the upper part'of the cylindrical piston wall may be so shaped that by rotating the piston the period at which the forcing of the liquid commences may be varied at will. In this way the moment of opening and closing the valve 1 may be determined and controlled asdesired.

In Figure 2 as soonras the stepped piston 2324 begins its upward movement liquid is forced from the space above the under part 23 through the openings 18 in the cylinder wall andthe conduit 10 into the compensating vessel 11, this being the way of the smallest resistance. At the same time the upper part 2a of the active piston forces liquid from the space 26 through the apertures 27 of the piston wall into the conduit 10. At the further upward movementof the piston first the open ings 18 in the cylinder wall are closed, whilst the openings 27 in the upper part ofthis wall remain still openin consequence of the pres-- ence of the notches 32 inthe piston wall,

which enable the. liquid to be forced out through27 into 10 even after the upper edge of the piston 2th will have passed the upper.

edge of-the apertures 27. The openings 18 I being closed, the liquid above the under piston '23 is forced through the conduit 6 into the spacev 5 beneath the passive piston. Consequently the piston 3 is raised and the'liquid in the space'29 above saidpiston is forced through 28 into the space 26 and further through the notches 32 and the openings26 into the conduit 10 and the compensating vessel 11. The valve 1 now is open. 'As soon' however as at the further upward stroke of the stepped. piston 2324t the'openings 17 inthe wall of said piston coincide with the ports 18 in the cylinder wall, the communication between the cylinder space abovevthepiston 23 and the conduit 10 is re-established. At

substantially the same momentthe edges 33 have passed the upper edges of the openings 27 so that the openings 27 in the cylinder wall will be closed by thewall of the upper piston part 24 so that from this moment and before the moment the ports are opened again by; the upper edge of the liquid in the space 26 is no longer forcedinto the conduit 10 but into 28 and further into the space 29 above the passive piston, so that thispistonis'moved back under the pressure of the liquid in 29 ment in which the valve 1 is closed, the com- -munication between the space 26 above the active piston 24 and the conduit 10 is resestab- (in the same manner as according to Fig.1 by the spring 19). Substantially atthemofrom 26 through 30 and 27 into 10 and 11.

During the last part of the upward stroke of the active piston, thus both parts of the active piston force liquid through conduit 10v into the vessel 11. I c 1 At the beginning of the downward stroke of the piston 2324 consequently liquid is sucked out from 11 through 10, respectively ithrough 27 and 30 into26 and through 18 and 17 into the inner space of 25. During the further downward movement ofthe piston the openings 27 are closed by the piston wall,

liquid is sucked into the space 26 from the compensating vessel 11 'via the non return valve 31, space 29 above the passive piston and conduit 28. The lower part 23 of piston having closed again the apertures ,18,;liquid is sucked from the vessel 11, via the space 11,

the conduit 22, the under non return valve,

space 5, conduit 6 into the space above the piston 23. From the moment that, during the further part of the downward stroke communication is re-established between theconduit 10 and the space '26 on the one hand (via 27 and 32) and the space above the piston 23 at the other hand ,(through18 and over the upper edge of the piston walls) the liquid flows from the compensating vessel 11 through 10 into said spaces (26 and above 23). The active piston 2324: havingreached its lowest position the cycle of, action willbe repeated at each centric.

The moment at which the forcing of liquid following stroke of the ec- (and the release) begins'rby each of the pistons, 23 and 24 maybe regulated by rotating said pistons by means of the lever 15, 16. The openings 30 and 17 as well as the notches 32 (eventually the apertures 27 and 18) are given a special shape in the mannerset forth.

In applying the invention use is made of a working piston operating through the mediumlof liquid pressure upon a piston connected to the valve. .Thereby the working piston derives its movement in the usual way from the head shaft. Said liquid pressure occurs as soon as the working piston after having traversed a part of its stroke closes one or more apertures in the wall of the corresponding cylinder. The passive pistons under the control of a spring or by means of pressure, as pointed out below, return to their normal position (in which the member to be operated is closed) immediately upon the active piston reaching a determined posit-ion. At this instant one or more apertures in the wall of the cylinder in which the active piston works are uncovered, such apertures until now being closed by the piston itself through these apertures the pressure liquid may escape in consequence whereof the spring pressure operating upon the passive piston is no longer overcome by-the liquid pressure and the passive piston is returned to its normal position.

The active piston is formed as a hollow cylinder, which at the pressure side is open, the wall of this cylinder being provided with one or more apertures. In addition to an axial displacement this cylinder may also be rotated about its longitudinal axis.

In the case of an active piston as above referred to, the shape of the aperture or apertures in the wall of the piston may be so chosen and the upper part of said aperture orapertures may be so developed by a composition of curves and straight lines, that by retating the piston about its axis, the moment at which the aperture or apertures in the corresponding cylinder is or are uncovered may be controlled or determined.

The upper edge of the active piston may further be so shaped that upon rotation of the piston about its axis the moment at which the forcing of the liquid and therefore the lifting of the valve, may also be varied.

The apertures in the wall of the cylinder belonging to the active piston communicate with a compensating vessel surrounding the cylinder of the passive piston, such compensating vessel being connected,through a conduit containing a non-return valve, with the pressure space of'the'cylinder belonging to the passive piston, the end of the cylinder opposite the pressure space being connected with the said compensating vessel.

Instead of returning the passive piston into its normal position by means of a spring, such piston may. also be returned through hydraulic pressure; (See Fig. 2.) This is obtained under the infiuenceof a second active piston, the pressure space of which communicates with that part of the cylinder of the passive piston which is not connected to the cylinder of the first mentioned active piston.

The two active pistons may if desired be interconnected, in which case they may be operated by a common controlling member.

By means of this invention the position of the valves, is totally independent of the particular construction of the engine, as the usual valve working rods, levers and cams are completely dispensed with.

What I claim is:

1. Hydraulic means for actuating valves comprising a cylinder having a port in its side intermediate of its ends, a hollow piston in the cylinder, said piston being open on the pressure side and provided with a port adapted to register with the port of the cylinder,

means for reciprocating the piston, a secondcylinder, a piston in said second cylinder, a valve carried by the piston, a compensating vessel, a valved connectlon between the compensating vessel and the said second cylinder,

means in the first cylinder for establishing communication between the second cylinder and the first cylinder, means for establishing communication between the compensating vessel and the port of the first cylinder, and means for returning the second piston to normal position.

2. Hydraulic means for actuating valves, comprising a cylinder having a port in its side intermediate of the ends thereof, a hollow piston mounted to reciprocate and turn in the cylinder, the wall of said piston being provided with ports adapted to register with the port of the cylinder, means for reciprocating the piston, means for turning the piston, a second cylinder, a piston 1n the said second cylinder, a valve carried by the piston rod of the piston, a compensating. vessel, a valve connection in a conduit .between the compensating vessel and the end of the second cylinder, a pipe leading from said second cylinder to the upper end of the first cylinder, a pipe establishing communication between the compensating vessel and the port of the first cylinder, and means for returning the second piston to normal position.

3. Hydraulic means for actuating valves comprising a cylinder having two diameters, each portion of which is provided with a port, a hollow piston having, two diameters mounted to reciprocate and turn in the cylinder and having ports in each portion thereof,

means for reciprocating the piston, means for turning the piston, a second cylinder, a piston in the second cylinder, a valve carried by a piston rod for said piston on which said valve is carried, a compensating vessel, a valve controlled communication between the upper end of the second cylinder and the compensating vessel, a valved connection between the lower end of said cylinder and the compensating vessel, a pipe leading from the lower end of said cylinder to the upper part of the larger-portion ofthe first cylinder, a pipe leading from theupper end of the second cylinder to the smaller end of the first 'cylin der, and a pipe leading from the c0mpensating vessel to the ports of the first cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HEINRICHIMAURITS MEIER MATTERN, Jr. 

